Afghanistan tourist attack: Injured in shooting are stable, says hospital

Tourists whowere woundedin a shooting attack in Afghanistan'sBamiyan city were in stable condition, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (May 19)citingthe hospitalthey were takento. The attack killed three Spaniards and three Afghans. The tourist group was fired upon while shopping in a marketplace in Bamiyan on Friday. Bamiyanis locatedaround 180 kilometres from Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

Speaking to AFP, a French tourist (who was part of the group) saida gunman on foot approached the group's vehicles and opened fire."There was blood everywhere," the tourist said,adding,that one thing wascertainthat the gunmanwas there for the foreigners.

This attackis believedto be the first deadly assault on foreign tourists since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. AFP reported that the bodies of the victimswere transported to Kabul overnight Friday.

Italian NGO Emergency, which operates a hospital inKabul, received the injuredwhoit said were from Spain, Lithuania, Norway, Australia, andAfghanistan.

No claim of responsibility for attack

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack till now. Taliban's Interior Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qani said thatseven suspects hadbeen arrested, "of which oneis wounded."

"The investigation is still going onandthe Islamic Emirate is seriously looking into the matter," Qani added.

Watch | Inside South Asia: Floods batter Northern Afghanistan

Speaking to Spanish media, Spain's Foreign MinisterJose Manuel Albares said thatthe bodies of the three Spanish touristswould likely be broughtback home on Sunday. AFP reported that Spanish diplomatswere headedto Afghanistanfrom Pakistan and Qatar.

EU, UN condemnattack

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) condemned the attack.

The UNAMA, which is the UN's mission in Afghanistan, said it was "deeply shocked and appalled by the deadly terrorist attack" in Bamiyan, adding it had assisted after the incident.

(With inputs from agencies)